No Way But Up
by Playing Hooky
Summary: In a fit of jealousy, he went too far. And then he kept at it, until there was no way back. Disgraced and without his friends, Ron Weasley hits rock bottom. But along the path to redemption, he may just find himself.


Ever read one of those character-bashing stories where he/she just won't learn? The character keeps getting caught, keeps getting punished, but it never makes a difference. Well, here's my twist on the typical Ron-Bashing, HarryxHermione plot. Ron-centric, mentor!Charlie, the adventure genre will come with later chapters.

Warning: this chapter includes corporal punishment of a teenager. I do not condone it, and it is not explicitly described, but it is there.

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Chapter 1: Consequences

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'Is there no other way?' asked Mrs. Weasley, too worried to be angry yet. With some luck, the paddling would start _after_ they left the office. And he knew he would have to go home, even if it wasn't end of term yet.

'I am very sorry, but the Headmaster's decision is final,' said the older woman with understanding eyes, 'and I agree. As undesirable as repeating a year may be, your son is simply not prepared for OWL-level classes. It would be catastrophic for your son's future if he…' they continued talking, but Mr. Weasley remained silent as he had been since Professor McGonagall first started explaining the situation. Ron risked a glance at him but averted his eyes quickly. Who knew his year could get any worse?

It all started going downhill because of the bloody tournament. In hindsight, he could admit to himself that he should have trusted his best mate's word. Their friendship might have survived still, and it did seem to heal for a while, after the first task. But the problems kept piling in. Harry had changed. He suddenly wanted to spend all his time in the library, or practicing magic in abandoned classrooms, instead of having fun. As the Golden Trio's know-it-all, Hermione approved of this development.

Sure, Ron _did_ understand the importance of preparing for the next task of the very dangerous Triwizard Tournament, but he still felt left out. Harry and Hermione had grown closer, and when the Yule Ball came, the Golden Trio became a Golden Duo plus Ron. His ears got red as he remembered that evening. Harry and Hermione were very nervous as they told him of their relationship, but he didn't notice that. He only saw their hands, clasped in such a way that told him the truth before Hermione finished her long-winded explanation.

If he were completely honest, he was more ashamed of his reaction then, than of anything that followed, Ron thought to himself as he dutifully followed his parents into the fireplace and through the floo network. He was blinded by jealousy and had said some unforgivable things. Who had he been jealous of - Harry or Hermione? Both, maybe.

He could have explained things, made up with them once he cooled down. He avoided them instead, which wasn't easy since they shared all classes, but at that point, he didn't care if his grades suffered for it. _I care_ now, he thought with a wince as his father closed the study door behind him. He doubted his two former friends even noticed his frequent absences, the piling amount of detentions, the fights he got into… And yet he had blamed them for it all, a part of him still did.

Had they noticed when Professor McGonagall sternly escorted him from Gryffindor Tower and into her office? It was not very likely. They had enough to take their attention, with the third and last task only a week away. Before leaving, the two women had briefly discussed what to do with him until end of term. He wondered if he would be allowed to return to Hogwarts for the third task, at least.

Ron had always been slightly above average at school without really trying, but that was when he had Hermione there to nag him about assignments. He could have done much better, his father reminded him before the first swing of the paddle. Could have, should have… If only he had a time turner. _'Time travel does not work that way, Ronald!'_ he imagined Hermione saying. His nostalgic smile lasted only a second as another wave of pain turned it into a grimace. More painful was the realisation of what being held back a year meant. It also seemed to be hitting him in waves.

How would Harry and Hermione react, if they even cared? What about his siblings? His brothers would all take the mickey, of course, but Ginny's reaction worried him the most. His only sister was a year younger than him, so they would now share classes. She was popular among her year and could make life difficult for him if she wanted – and he had not been the best brother since he started at Hogwarts, had he? The first tears started to form in his eyes, as he remembered how he ignored her as she was having the worst year of her life.

Before Hogwarts, Ron Weasley used to see himself as a good older brother to Ginny, unlike what the twins were to him. He also thought of himself as a good son. After defeating a troll in first year, he saw himself as a good friend to Harry and Hermione. _Now I am nothing_ , he thought as he sobbed in earnest. The paddling stopped, and his father gently told him he could stand straight, but he didn't notice.

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A/N: I'm still debating where to go from here. Next chapter could be about what happened since Christmas, maybe told through flashbacks and/or from Harry's POV. Or I could continue from here, or make a jump to the third task, or make an even bigger jump to the summer hols. Be sure to tell me your opinion :)


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